The Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) has uncovered large-scale illegal water connections at IceCool Purified Water Limited in Shai Hills and at Kings and Queens Medical Teaching Hospital in Kpong.
The discoveries were made during GWCL’s national revenue enhancement programme, with teams from the Tema Regional Office and security personnel conducting inspections.
According to Mr Sampson Ampah, Communications Manager for GWCL Tema Region, IceCool Purified Water had tapped into treated water for its sachet and bottled water production for an extended period without paying.
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The company reportedly bypassed meters, connecting the water directly into eight 2,000-cubic-metre tanks. “They did not only bypassed the meter to access water in the tanks illegally but also removed the meter entirely,” Mr Ampah explained, calling the act a clear illegal connection.
At Kings and Queens Medical Teaching Hospital, investigators found that the facility had tapped into a 21-inch main GWCL pipe and linked it to its underground tank, using water illegally for the past five years. Mr Ampah noted that the complexity of both connections required detailed surveillance to uncover.
GWCL plans to quantify the water used to surcharge the establishments, and management of both institutions has been invited to respond. The criminal aspects of the cases will be referred to the police.
Mr Ampah appealed to the public to assist in reporting illegal water connections, emphasising the strain such practices place on revenue and the importance of accounting for treated water. He also noted that a reward would be provided for verified reports that lead to the apprehension of offenders.
